Address Maker leverages Google’s Plus Codes system for generating addresses based on latitudes and longitudes. Google brought Plus Codes back in 2015 as a tool to help authorities create new addresses for businesses and homes. In 2020, Google enabled Plus Codes integration with Google Maps for Android, allowing users to create and share their addresses. Users can open Google Maps and tap the location icon on the map to generate a six-digit Plus Code.
Address Maker is currently operational in the U.S., India, The Gambia, South Africa, and Kenya
Organizations can now utilize Address Maker to assign new addresses or add missing roads within minutes. The app helps cut down on a lot of time needed to create addresses for villages or towns. Google said (via) that while this process would usually take years, this app brings it down to just a few weeks. Currently, NGOs and government agencies use Address Maker in regions like the U.S., India, South Africa, Kenya, and The Gambia. Google clarified that more regions would support Address Maker soon. The company is currently accepting applications from governments or NGOs to run scaled addressing programs in their regions.
Additionally, Google is also rolling out a new wildfires layer to Google Maps on Android, iOS, and desktop versions this week. Maps will use data from the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) in the U.S. to display major fires that could lead to evacuations. Although the feature is only live in the U.S. now, Google said it will roll out the feature in Australia over the coming months. Further, the company provided an update on its Tree Canopy tool. This helps identify regions in a city that face the “greatest risk of experiencing rapidly rising temperatures.” The program is expanding from 15 U.S. cities to more than 100 cities globally including Guadalajara, London, Sydney, and Toronto, Google said. Tree Canopy uses a series of aerial footage and AI metrics to identify at-risk spots.
